KENYA TO SPEND BIG TO IMPROVE AVIATION SECURITY
(Posted 11th April 2014)
Kenya’s transport secretary Michael Kamau yesterday announced that the government will create additional facilities at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to facilitate the work of security services. More patrols by the paramilitary GSU, short for General Service Unit, will also be introduced to in particular secure the arrival and departure flight paths out of JKIA. None of Kenya’s airports has been able to secure Category One rating by the American FAA, which effectively put a stop to introducing nonstop or direct flights from Kenya to the United States, much to the disappointment of national airline Kenya Airways which has their eyes firmly on destinations in the US, where some of the airline’s closest rivals already fly to, giving them a competitive advantage.
Cabinet Secretary Kamau also announced that during his forthcoming trip to the United States the issue of a Cat 1 audit will be raised and that FAA personnel is expected to come to Kenya later in the year to assess the new facilities which the Kenya Airport Authority is putting up, namely Terminal 4 and the so called Temporary Terminal both of which should be ready for use by mid and late this year respectively.
Kamau made the comments at the ground breaking ceremony for the new Kenya Civil Aviation Authority head office which is being constructed on a plot adjoining the airport at a cost of over 800 million Kenya Shillings and is due for completion by late 2015.
Watch this space for breaking and regular aviation news from Eastern Africa.
